Today's Reading October 7

Good morning.
This morning's Old Testament reading is Isaiah, chapters 37 and 38
Both these chapters cover part of the life of King Hezekiah. And Hezekiah is one of those great - but not perfect - men in history. He had troubles too, don't doubt that at all. Chapter 38 covers the time when he was sick and dying, something that comes to us all.
But chapter 37 continues the account in chapter 36 of the war with the Assyrians, and the siege of Jerusalem. Sennacherib the king of the Assyrians has called upon them to surrender, to submit to his will. He has mocked the Lord and His promises. Hezekiah goes up to the Temple to pray,

5 And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying,
16 O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.
17 Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.
18 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,
19 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
20 Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only.

And the Lord honored that request as we see down in the chapter,

36 Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
38 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

Ray van der Laan (OK, that 's the Dutch in me, he spells it Vanderlaan) put together a marvelous series, still in production I believe, that was originally called ''That the World May Know'', taken from his being drawn to that phrase as an important one throughout the entire Bible. I recommend the series highly, I think it's been retitled as ''Faith Lessons'', get it it's wonderful.
And, it's true, one of the reasons the Lord does certain things, one of the reasons we are called upon to do certain things, is to make it evident that He, and He alone, is Lord. Lord of the world, and Lord of our lives. I fall short there. I can't do it. But He can, and He provides the means as well. See the second part of this posting.

-=-=-=-=-=
This evening's New Testament passage is from Phillipians, chapter 3.
Good stuff, but a couple things have been jumping out at me, perhaps it's just related to where I am right now, or perhaps they're just that good.
Paul speaks of his own journey, how he has come from the most respected elements of traditional Judaism, and contrasts it to where he is and where he is going - we're headed along that path too, by the way.

7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We talked a while back about some of the key phrases in the Bible -- ''for God so loved....'', ''In the beginning, GOD ..'', '' but if not ...'', and so forth. Here's another one '' ... but this one thing I do ...''. Paul knows it's not all mountaintop, sometimes it's the Valley of the Shadow as well, and he deals with it by just slogging ahead, pressing on.
And then a phrase that scares me,

17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Are you ready and willing to have others follow you, to use your life, your words, as an example of how to glorify the Lord, how to live the life of a believer, how to resolve the issuess you face? Are you ready to have others see Jesus in you, and want it as well?
That troubles me, I know my own failings all too well. But we should be able to do this.